As the mask came off, Eric froze. His eyes widened slightly, his breath caught in his chest. The face before him… far too familiar. Too impossible to be here.
And that's when a small mistake happened.
The man took advantage. With a rough motion, he shoved Eric aside, strong enough to make him stagger back and hit the wall. Not enough to knock him down, but enough to loosen his grip.
"Now," the man said in a low, firm voice.
The sound of a door opening upstairs cut through immediately.
CAEL appeared, tense but not surprised, as if he had expected someone to arrive. The masked man wasted no time, grabbing CAEL by the wrist.
Eric snapped out of his shock. "Stop—!"
Too late.
A gunshot rang out toward the ceiling—not to harm, but enough to shatter a light and create chaos. The house plunged into half-darkness. In the confusion, the man dragged CAEL down the back stairs.
"NOAH! LIAM!" Eric shouted.
Noah and Liam sprinted out from the side room, weapons raised. They caught a glimpse of two figures rushing out the back door.
"Chase them!" Noah yelled.
They both ran without hesitation. The sound of footsteps echoed outside, mixed with the renewed drizzle of rain. Eric stood frozen for a few moments, eyes locked on the wide-open door.
That face still lingered in his mind.
Liam and Noah disappeared from view, chasing into the dark alley behind the house. Eric finally moved, but his steps were slow—too slow for an agent.
Minutes later, Noah and Liam returned, breathing heavily, faces tense.
"Gone," Noah said sharply. "They used a narrow passage—there was a vehicle waiting. We didn't make it."
Liam glared at Eric. "You were slow."
Eric lifted his head. His expression had returned to its usual blank, controlled state. "I tried to stop them. They were ready."
Noah narrowed his eyes. "You saw his face. You know that man, right?"
The question hung in the air.
Eric stayed silent. Too long.
Then he shook his head slowly. "No. He wore a mask. I was just… surprised he dared come this far."
A neat deception. His voice steady. Eyes unblinking.
Liam studied Eric for a long moment, as if trying to read something behind the calm mask. "If you say so."
Eric turned his gaze to the back door, now empty. CAEL was gone. The man was gone too.
And with them, an old secret that should have remained buried… now returned to haunt him.
In his heart, Eric knew one thing clearly:
He had just lost a detainee.
And he had just encountered someone who should never have appeared in his life again.
This chapter was far from over. And betrayal… was still waiting.
---
The phone, silent until now, vibrated on the table. All movement in the house froze, as if time itself held its breath. Eric picked up the phone without a word. The screen displayed only a line of code—HQ.
"Report," a voice at the other end sounded calm, cold, and emotionless.
Eric stood tall. "Primary asset escaped. Rescuer's identity remains unknown."
No immediate reaction. Several seconds passed before the voice continued.
"We anticipated this possibility," HQ said. "Listen carefully. Ferom-9 status is now reclassified."
Eric frowned. Liam and Noah exchanged a glance.
"Based on the latest evidence," HQ continued, "the owner of Ferom-9 is almost certainly an Omega. Pheromone patterns, biological responses, and serum side effects all match an Omega profile."
Eric clenched his jaw. "Almost?"
"Yes. Because the same evidence also indicates one crucial point," the voice pressed slightly. "CAEL is not necessarily the owner of Ferom-9."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
HQ began listing the evidence one by one. Blood samples taken were inconsistent with the degradation rate of Ferom-9. CAEL's metabolism was too stable for someone who had used the serum long-term. There were even gaps when Ferom-9 was active in the field, yet CAEL was confirmed elsewhere.
"This means," HQ said, "CAEL may only be a temporary carrier—or a decoy."
Noah spoke quietly, "So… all this time… we've been targeting the wrong person?"
"Not entirely," HQ replied. "CAEL is still closely connected. But he's not definitive proof. That's why our instructions are clear."
Eric listened without blinking.
"We will halt open capture operations temporarily. No pursuit. No aggressive hunting. Focus on intelligence gathering. Anyone acting outside these orders will be considered in breach of protocol."
Eric exhaled slowly. "And if CAEL shows up again?"
"Keep distance. Observe. Do not touch," HQ answered. "The real owner of Ferom-9 is still active. And they are smarter than we expected."
The call ended.
The house fell silent again, but this time, it was a dangerous silence.
Liam broke it. "If CAEL isn't the owner… that means someone else is out there."
Eric didn't respond. His gaze went empty, mind far away.
In his head, the face behind the mask returned.
And for the first time since this mission began, Eric realized one thing—CAEL was not the most dangerous target in this game. And the person who had just taken him… might know more than HQ itself.